


Linnunlaulut

by onnenlintu



Category: Stand Still Stay Silent
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-05-02 15:51:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14548146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onnenlintu/pseuds/onnenlintu
Summary: Any poems I write about SSSS.Chapter 1: Emil is hopeless.Chapter 2: The tale of Sigrun's first sea-beast.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The Finnish bits in this - "kuutar, kallis" is just repeating the start of the prayer Lalli says to the moon, and the full line means "This is a new way", more or less. Use of Finnish is to illustrate it being Lalli's whispering, not entirely just because it sounds neat.

How do you produce the _runo_  
For the magic that comes freely?  
Words of power that I can't know,  
Hands invoking, slender, steely -  
  
Song of praise and curse of malice  
Fall like moonlight, _kuutar, kallis_ -  
Dropping, dancing, down divinely  
Rhyme and meter meshing finely-  
  
I have no such poetry coming,  
Yet it's in your very breathing.  
Stepping silent, holy humming,  
From my side, eloquence leaving.  
  
Still you whisper from within _this,_  
Bring beginnings bright as truth is,  
_Tästä tulee toiset tavat_ ,  
Now my mind, but always my heart.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I like to imagine that in the long winters, the Norwegians make up songs about each other's feats and set them to known tunes. This one more or less fits the tune of Ormurin Langi, but unfortunately I couldn't be bothered to make it all rhyme, so it's not as great a mead-hall song as it could be. 
> 
> The Hildar referred to is a valkyrie. She presided over battle and that's why Sigrun is beloved of her, it's a mythology thing not a shippy thing.

Tall she was though dewskin-young  
As the cliffs she grew on,  
Riding out on fatly-swelled  
Horses white and salt-maned.   
  
(refrain)   
Hear the tale of the one  
Who grew mighty,  
Sigrun, loved by Hildar  
Slew all that could die.  
  
Fifteen winters had she grown,  
Three the summers fighting,  
Steel her arms from sword and axe  
Tempered in the war-forge.   
  
From the islands came the ship,  
Long hook was it reeling,  
Hauling living beasts of old  
Reason for its making.  
  
Now no whalepath is the sea,  
Sea-beasts taint the gullroad,  
Deep the evil, heavy-hooked  
Dragged to light for killing.  
  
So rode Sigrun, mighty-voiced,  
Sure as winter's coming,  
First at helm through voyage new  
Calling out for challenge.  
  
On the open ocean bright,  
Serpent surfaced scar-fleshed,  
Heads of man and beast alike  
Berries on its breastbone.  
  
"See the beast that comes to fight,  
Only ten times taller.  
Have the gods not heard who rides?  
Njörd insults me greatly."  
  
Tails of twisted meat arise,  
Serpent looping longer,  
Lengths of beast-flesh skywards grow  
Till the boat looks smaller.   
  
Ready now the longest hooks,  
Brace against the decking,  
Reeling in the roaring beast  
Sigrun leaps bold seawards.  
  
"Long you are but heads are weak,  
My axe sharp, my hand skilled."  
Standing on the writhing beast  
She dispatches each one.  
  
Now the ocean claiming flesh,  
Forth fat horses gallop,  
Taking back the beast in death  
Lapping at young Sigrun.   
  
Cold were salt-breaths in her chest,  
Stern her grip on axe still,  
As she swum a mighty stroke  
Back to ship and safety.  
  
From her arm was springing blood,  
So she called to Odin,  
"Now I'll trade to gain more wit,  
Not in spite of honour."  
  
As home rode the victory ship,  
Still she made her prayer,  
"Make me wise, yet fool enough   
That I'll see Valhalla."  
  



End file.
